Search - Maronite Chant, Syrian Orthodox Chant, Syrian Catholic Chant :: Chant byzantin / Chant traditionnel maronite

Haunting Eastern Christian legacy...

Veggiechiliqueen | 04/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Maronites (Antiochian) and Melchites (Byzantine) are members of the Eastern Catholic Church, with a heritage dating back to the origins of Christianity. Maronites were at one time the most populous majority in Lebanon, and Sister Marie Keyrouz (of Lebanon) does a stunning job of bringing the Maronite musical heritage to life.



Maronite chant is strophic, syllabic, and monodic, with a range limited to a fourth or a fifth. Despite the Christian nature of the texts, at first listen, the music is purely Middle Eastern, following the vocalization of Arabic classical music. Maronite chant is a capella and based on texts in the Syriac (Aramaic) language, which was one of the earliest languages used by Christian communities. The first disc consists of songs for Christmas, the Passion, and Resurrection (French and English translations are provided in the scant liner notes) taken from the Maronite, Syrian Orthodox and Syrian Christian traditions. Sister Marie Keyrouz's voice is powerful and deeply spiritual, drawing the listener deeper into the trancelike chant despite the language barrier.



Traditionally, only four instruments are used in the Maronite Church: double cymbals, the large cymbal, the naqus (similar to a triangle) and the maraweh (similar to a cymbal). Their usage is generally limited to holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The harmonium, organ, violin and other stringed instruments are more recent additions. This limited use of instruments places full emphasis on the power of the texts.



The second disc comes from the Byzantine tradition, and features the liturgical cycle of the Passion and Resurrection. The texts are in Arabic, Syriac, and Greek. As with Disc One, these chants are supremely powerful even if you do not understand the lyrics, and are deliciously exotic to Western ears. When I was younger, I listened to Gregorian chant, and after living in Spain in 2005, I purchased a disc of the Mozarabic rite performed in Toledo, and at the same time became interested in Eastern Christian chant, including Melchite and Maronite. I have always been drawn to Eastern music from Turkey, Egypt, and the Middle East, and was enchanted when I happened upon this recording by Marie Keyrouz.



Sister Marie Keyrouz is somewhat of a celebrity in Europe and the Middle East, as her many CD and DVD releases attest (as does her flashy website at keyrouz.com). Unfortunately, the liner notes are skimpy and feature sparse notes in French and English, along with photos of iconography and Christian sites in Lebanon."

Great early christian music

Joseph Hromy | Bayonne, NJ | 04/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you ever wanted to hear how the early church worshiped it is still practiced and done beauitful by this Byzantine nun. What a voice you will lose yourself Great Buy"